


Never Stopped

by babykpats



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Future Fic, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 08:10:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8837071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babykpats/pseuds/babykpats
Summary: Thirty years after Ian and Mickey separated ways, Ian finds himself in the very same spot with nowhere to go but forward.~Thirty years after 7-11.





	

Ian took a deep breath as he drove across the border.

Thirty years. It took him thirty fucking years but he's finally doing something his younger self would've been proud of.

Thirty years after he last saw the face of the man he loved, here he was driving into Mexico with some clothes, some cash and a copy of Mickey's old wanted poster, the only photo he had of Mickey.

He had no fucking clue where Mickey was. After they parted ways all those years ago, he hadn't heard from Mickey ever since. Not a single call or text.

But after way too many years of sitting still and pretending he was happy, he couldn't do it anymore. He had to do the thing that he should've done a long long time ago.

Ian unfolded an old map and decided to take his chances in Matamoros. It was the nearest beach to the border and there was a huge chance that Mickey might have settled there at one point.

He drove and drove until he caught sight of the ocean. Once he was near enough, he found a decent place to park and just looked at the water. "Fuck Mick. It's beautiful." He muttered.

He got out of the car, took his shoes off and buried his feet in the sand. He closed his eyes and thought about how Mickey must've felt, seeing the ocean for the very first time.

Ian frowned. Mickey must've felt alone, and heartbroken, and scared.

Ian shook himself out of that downward spiral. He was here now. He'd fix things.

He walked towards the water and just stood there getting his toes wet. "See you soon, Mick." He whispered into the air.

Ian spent the rest of the day walking into random bars and stores brandishing Mickey's photo, asking if anyone recognized him.

Ian's heart jumped when one shopowner seemed to recognize Mickey calling him "El Gringo" but after consulting Google Translate, he realized that they might've just been mocking the random, seemingly crazy, white guy walking around with a wanted poster.

"Fuck." Ian muttered, exhausted.

He decided to give himself a break and sat down on the beach, looking at the sun lowering itself on the horizon.

"Señor?"

Ian jumped at the small voice. He turned to his right and saw a kid eyeing him with big brown eyes. "Hi." Ian said.

"Buscas a este hombre?"

Ian shook his head. "Sorry, uh, no español. Um, English?"

The boy frowned but gently plucked the crumpled wanted poster from his hand and pointed at Mickey's face, looking at him in question.

"Yes, yes. You know him? You know where he is?" Ian's heart beat faster. It was stupid, and the chances of this kid actually knowing where Mickey was was so damn small but he had nothing else to go on. Ian wracked his brain for something to say to this kid. "Donde?"

The boy grinned and ran towards Ian's car making sure Ian was close behind.

The boy stopped in front of his car before looking at Ian expectantly.

Ian quickly unlocked his car with the keys and got into the driver's side as the kid settled into the front seat.

"Derecho!" The kid announced.

Ian sighed. "Look, I don't know what you're saying okay?"

The kid rolled his eyes and motioned for Ian to go straight.

Ian drove for about twenty minutes, his full trust placed on a kid who couldn't be over thirteen years old.

He didn't give himself a moment to doubt the situation he was in. If there was even a small chance of this kid leading him to Mickey, he will take it.

The roads they were taking kept getting smaller and smaller until the kid told him to stop in front of an abandoned park.

Ian frowned and tapped the kid's shoulder. He pulled out the wanted poster once again and pointed to Mickey's face.

The kid nodded and pointed towards the abandoned park. He then opened the car door and took off running towards the park.

Ian, left with no other choices, got out to follow the kid.

Once he made it to the entrance, his whole being froze. This wasn't a park. It was a cemetery.

"Señor! Señor!" The kid was waving him over.

"No." Ian muttered. "No, no, no." Ian jumped over the fence and ran towards the kid. "This must be a mistake. He can't be here. Bring me to Mickey!" Ian yelled at the kid.

The kid frowned and knelt beside a tombstone.

Ian leaned forward and there he saw it. Mikhailo Aleksandr Milkovich.

"No. No. NO!" Ian wiped the tears that were suddenly falling across his cheeks. He ran his hand across Mickey's name and he crumpled in front of the tombstone. "I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, Mickey. I got here too late."

The boy frowned as he watched Ian break down in front of the tombstone. He cautiously approached Ian. "Señor, como se llama?"

Ian felt himself drowning in darkness. Mickey was dead. He waited too long to come here. He was too late. Mickey was gone.

"Señor!"

Ian turned his attention back to the yelling kid. "What?" he muttered, suddenly all out of energy.

"Como se llama?" he asked again.

Ian sighed. "Ian. Ian Gallagher." He closed his eyes once again and resumed talking to Mickey. "I miss you so much." He whispered. "I'm here now. I saw the beach." Ian was rambling but he didn't care. It didn't matter anymore.

Ian felt the kid tugging his arm. He opened his eyes and saw an urgent look on the kid's face. "What?" Ian snapped.

"Ya es de noche." The kid said urgently tugging his arm.

Ian sighed. He had no idea what this kid wanted but he did lead Ian to Mickey. The least he could do was drive this kid home. Ian sighed. "Fine." He placed a soft kiss on Mickey's tombstone before getting up. "I'll be back Mick." he whispered.

Ian felt like a zombie as he drove through the roads towards wherever this kid was telling him to go. He paid enough attention just so he can drive himself back to the cemetery but aside from that, Ian was numb to everything else.

"PARAR!"

Ian slammed on the brakes when he heard the kid yell. "What the fuck?!" Ian yelled back.

The kid looked sheepishly at Ian and pointed ahead towards a restaurant.

"Really? You're gonna make me buy you food?" Ian said.

The kid just kept staring at Ian.

Ian let out a deep sigh. "Fucking fine. But if this is some expensive restaurant, I'm dining and dashing you little imp."

The moment Ian put the car in park, the kid was out the door and into the restaurant.

"Jesus Christ." Ian muttered. "No fucking manners."

Ian locked the car and made his way into the restaurant. It was an awkward time so the restaurant was completely empty which made certain voices echo across the place.   
The kid was nowhere to be found so Ian just followed the voices, hoping that the kid didn't get himself into any trouble.

Ian walked towards the back and frowned when he realized he could understand what they were talking about.

"You took care of the gringo, mijo?"

"Well, not exactly but papa..."

Ian frowned. The fucking kid knew how to speak fucking English!

"What do you mean not exactly? I told you, if gringos start asking around, bring them to the cemetery."

"I did, papa. I did. But this gringo, he's no policia, papa."

"I don't care. Anyone asks, bring them to the cemetery and then walk away."

"But papa, he said his name was Ian Gallagher."

"What?"

"He's outside. He looks exactly like the photograph, papa."

Before Ian could walk away, the door swung open and there, standing before him was Mickey Milkovich.

"Mick?"

"Gallagher?"

The Mickey in front of him did not look like the Mickey on the picture he had in his pocket. This Mickey was blond, tan and marks of aging evident on his face. But those eyes, fuck, Ian would know those eyes anywhere.

"You- You were dead." Ian thought back to the last time he took his meds. He no longer had to down the pills on the daily but he thought back to his schedule, thinking if he skipped his meds accidentally.

Just then, a couple walked into the restaurant, awkwardly waiting for someone to greet them. "Mijo, tell Jorge that we have customers, I'll be in the back." Mickey muttered.

After the kid walked off, Mickey walked back into the office, Ian close behind.

Mickey took a seat in one of the chairs and Ian sat across from him.

"What are you doing here, Gallagher?"

"You're really alive?" Ian couldn't get over it. He was so tempted to rub his eyes but he was afraid that Mickey will disappear if he did.

Mickey chuckled. "Yeah. A couple cops started sniffing around here looking for me some years back so I had to fake my own death."

Ian nodded, slowly digesting the information. "And the kid? He's your..."

"Son. Cops have stopped coming years ago but when the people in town told me that there was a white guy looking for me, I sent him out to do the job. Didn't know it was you, Gallagher."

Ian nodded. "Okay. Okay."

"Why are you here?" Mickey asked.

Ian ran the back of his hand across his eyes to clear his thoughts a little bit. "I just- One day I woke up and nothing was holding me back anymore."

"Still an EMT?"

"Early retirement."

"Really? Jesus, how old are you now?"

"51."

Mickey whistled. "Must be drowning in cash now to be able to afford an early retirement."

Ian shrugged. "Wasn't planned or anything. Once shit started to settle down, I figured if I was going to retire in Mexico, I got all the cash I need."

Mickey froze.

Ian chuckled. "It ain't like that Mick. Wasn't gonna hunt you down and force myself on you or some shit. Just wanted to see how you were and check out the beach that I heard so much about. Wasn't expecting you to welcome me with open arms or anything."

Mickey nodded.

"After Liam moved out, we decided to sell the house and instead of buying an apartment, I just decided to come here." Ian shrugged.

"I'm married." Mickey blurted, raising his hand to show the ring.

"Divorced." Ian admitted.

"Jesus Christ." Mickey muttered before bursting out in laughter.

Ian couldn't help but join him.

Once the awkwardness was behind them, Ian and Mickey moved to the restaurant so Mickey could keep an eye on things.

Ian and Mickey settled into a booth in the corner as they watched the dinner crowd slowly filing in.

"So, do you manage the restaurant or something?" Ian asked, dipping his fry in a dish of ketchup.

"Nah man. I own this dump." Mickey grinned.

"Really?" Ian turned to look at the restaurant in a new light.

"Yeah, people wanted to eat what the gringos eat so I gave it to them. Food is shitty but they eat it the fuck up."

"Wow."

"Yeah, this is my fourth one. Kept everything within Matamoros just in case cops come looking for me again. Gotta stay near my grave."

"Fourth? Wow, Mick. That's amazing!"

Mickey shrugged. "Nah, man. Just finally caught a break."

"Papa?"

"Ey, c'mere." Mickey patted the empty seat beside him. "Alejandro, Ian. Ian, Alejandro."

"So you understood everything I was saying all along, huh?"

Alejandro chuckled. "Papa's orders. Don't speak English to strange white people." he said in a perfect American accent.

Ian chuckled. "It's like a little Latino you, Mick."

Alejandro muttered something in Spanish to Mickey. Mickey frowned and gave Ian a weird look. Ian looked back and forth between the father and the son, their foreign words not registering at all.

"What did he say?" Ian asked as Alejandro made his way behind the bar.

Mickey shook his head. "Nothing important."

Ian frowned but didn't push. "So, Alejandro is your son?"

Mickey chuckled. "Took you long enough to ask."

Ian blushed.

"I found him naked on the streets begging for food when he was a baby. Took him in, paperwork and all." Mickey shrugged.

Ian looked at Mickey. Not only did his appearance change but it seemed like a lot has changed for Mickey as well. He's made a life for himself here. A life that did not need Ian's interference.

"So, divorced?" Mickey asked.

"Yeah, married the boyfriend I was with when we- when-" Ian stammered.

"When you left me on the border?" Mickey finished for him.

Ian sighed and nodded.

"Damn. What went wrong?"

"Didn't feel right." Ian muttered.

"Alejandro told me about what happened in the cemetery."

"Shit." Ian muttered.

"You were crying and you kissed my tombstone." There were no traces of mockery in Mickey's voice. He just looked curious.

"Look, I just got shocked, okay? I expected to drive down here and see you sunbathing in that ugly Hawaiian shirt you loved so much. So when the kid led me to a fucking cemetery, I broke down." Ian took a deep breath. "But it doesn't mean anything, Mick. Shit, you made a life for yourself out here. You own a fucking chain of restaurants, married with a fucking kid. Jesus. I'm proud of you, Mick. All you need is a fucking house with a white picket fence then, you're golden."

Mickey kept silent making Ian think that he might've said the wrong thing.

Next thing you know, Mickey was up and beckoning Ian to follow him towards the exit.

Ian matched Mickey's pace as they walked down the street. "Where are we going? I have my car parked at the restaurant."

"Nah man, it's not that far." Mickey said.

After a few more minutes of walking in comfortable silence, Ian found himself in front a small two-storey house with a chain-link fence surrounding it.

"Not quite a white picket fence but I like it." Mickey grinned, unlocking the gate.

"This is you? Shit, man." Ian breathed.

"It's a shithole but it's what I can afford without blowing through Alejandro's tuition fund." Mickey muttered as he unlocked the front door.

"Vieja! Estoy aqui!" Mickey yelled into the house.

Ian braced himself, expecting a man fresh from the pages of a Spanish novela.

What he saw instead was an elderly woman hobbling towards them.

Mickey leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek and glared at Ian to get him to do the same.

"She's Miguel's elder sister." Mickey explained.

Ian watched as Mickey helped her settle into the couch and handed her the remote. Once he was satisfied, he motioned for Ian to follow him. They walked through a hallway and Mickey opened the door to their right. "Ian, meet Miguel."

Miguel was laying on a bed with various tubes attached to his body. He wasn't moving at all. Only the sound of various beeps filled the room.

"Shit, Mick. What happened to him?" Ian's face was full of worry.

"He got into a car accident with a cop who was driving under the influence. State is paying for his healthcare and shit." Mickey explained.

"I'm so sorry Mick." Ian placed a consoling hand on Mickey's shoulder.

"What? Oh no." Mickey chuckled. "That happened before I met him. I asked to marry him so that I can petition my residency here in Mexico. His sister agreed as long as I give them somewhere to live."

"So, you live together?" Ian asked.

"Kind of? Had the house renovated into a duplex. They got the whole ground floor, Alejandro and I got the second floor and the small attic. I just drop in sometimes to make sure their not both dead or something."

Ian nodded.

"You good, Gallagher?" Mickey chuckled.

"It's a lot to process." He admitted.

"C'mon." Mickey walked out of the house and walked towards the back and up a staircase. He waited until Mickey unlocked the door and they stepped into Mickey's home.

"It's like we're back in Chicago." Ian muttered.

Mickey chuckled. "Have to drive out thirty minutes to get to a decent grocery store that sells American shit. Beaners have shit taste in beer."

Ian chuckled.

"You got a place to crash tonight?" Mickey asked, running his thumb along his lower lip.

Ian shook his head. "Just point me to the nearest hotel."

"Ey, if you wanna pay ridiculous amounts of money for a shit room, you might as well just drop your cash here." Mickey shrugged.

Ian looked at Mickey. He looked at the man who owned his heart ever since he was fifteen years old. He took in everything he was now, everything he has accomplished despite the shit hand he was dealt. Ian felt overwhelmed with emotions that he couldn't help but let some of it slip through his lips. "I love you, you know. I don't think I ever stopped."

Mickey smiled. "Me neither."


End file.
